christmastripfandomcom-20200214-history
22 years with almost the same itinerary
The Christmas Trip started out as a four-day ride to Idyllwild and back. Courses went NE from San Diego, and then SW on the return. When the Trip grew to six days in the 60's, the AYH routed the Trip in a clockwise, then counter-clockwise direction, to get to Palm Springs from the north one year, and south the next. When the Trip got to over 100 riders in the late 80's and early 90's, the logistics of where to stay with the increasing development of the area and scheduling places to stay year to year became more complicated. So in 1994 the AYH locked in the five overnight locations and used that same route for the next 22 years*. Of course the local cyclists quickly tired of the same route and developed many alternate routes. Although the mold has been broken with the 2016 ride, many of the overnight stops will still remain, and these alternate routes will still be available to the adventurous Tripper. * - However in 2009 the Day 1 destination was at the Lake Morena Community Church (?). Pine Valley was unavailable? Quick links to Christmas Trip pages from past years 1950's, 1960s, 1970's, 1980's, 1990's, 2000's, 2010's Back to Main Page Typical Christmas Trip itinerary and alternate routes Official route versus alternate routes - Many experienced (and sometimes inexperienced) Trippers take alternate routes on all or part of some days. Take alternate routes at your own risk and be prepared to handle your own support - there's no sag support unless you're on the official route for the day! Day 1 - San Diego to Pine Valley Official route (more or less) - Right turn from USD onto Linda Vista Rd. then a left onto Morena and a quick left onto Friars Rd. which connects to Mission Gorge Rd. past Qualcomm Stadium and continue east, the road becomes Woodside Ave. and crosses under SR-67, becoming a frontage road. Take a right onto Los Coches Rd. in Lakeside, then left on Old Hwy. 80 to Alpine, that becomes Alpine Blvd. and parallels I-8 East as a service road, then ends and you go on the Interstate shoulder. There is a nice rest area after a mile, pictures encouraged. Continue to the exit at Japatul Valley Rd. (SR-79), turn left on 79, then stay right towards Guatay when 79 turns left and the road is just Old Hwy. 80 again. Continue through Guatay, down the hill and coast into Pine Valley, the Community Center is on your left. Alternates - You can always cross over I-8 in Alpine on Willows Rd. to visit Viejas Casino and Outlet Center, there is food there as well. Continue east on Willows to the junction with I-8 to rejoin the official route. There is also Viejas Grade Rd., which leaves Willows to the north just before you reach the casino. This route takes a 4-mile climb on a well maintained dirt road to bypass the freeway. It starts shortly after Alpine and rejoins the route in Descanso. Day 2 - Pine Valley to Warner Springs / Borrego Springs Although the typical Trip didn't stay in Borrego Springs, it is included here because it's on the way and the route to Palm Desert from there is the same. Official route - Continue on Old Hwy. 80 through town, then left turn at Sunrise Hwy. (S1) go over Mt. Laguna (6000 ft.), right turn at junction with SR-79. Continue on SR 79 to Julian. At this point if the Trip is going to Warner Springs you follow SR-79 down the hill to Santa Ysabel, and continue on SR 79 towards Warner Springs and the Middle School is on the right. If the Trip is going to Borrego Springs you turn right on SR-78, go down Banner Grade, left turn onto S3 (Yaqui Pass Rd.). Turn left at Borrego Springs Rd. and that takes you to the traffic circle in the center of Borrego Springs. Alternates - If S1 is closed due to snow, ice, or you don't want to climb that high, retrace your route from the previous day, up through Guatay, then take a right at SR 79 and continue through Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. You will rejoin the official route when you pass the junction with S1. There are numerous other alternates, including: Kitchen Creek on the Mt. Laguna Sunrise Highway ascent, the Mesa Grande bypass off of SR-79 past Santa Ysabel, even going up Palomar Mt. if you are in real need of a killer climb or just have some serious astronomical observations to make that night. Day 3 - Warner Springs / Borrego Springs to Palm Desert (If the Trip is staying at Borrego Springs, see Choice B below) Official route - This has varied in the past between Choice A and B. Choice A - Leave the Middle School and turn right onto SR-79. Stay on 79 until Aguanga and turn right onto SR-371, continue through Anza (the Anza town motto is "Where the Past and Future Meet" - this author always adds "and cancel each other out"), and uphill to the junction with SR-74 at the Paradise Valley Cafe (your guess as to whether it will be open or closed). Turn right and continue along the "Pines to Palms Highway" and go down Seven-level Hill (which honestly is a trip highlight, make sure your brakes are in good working order). Right turn at El Paseo, right turn at Portola, Hope Lutheran will be on your left. Only 65 miles, but be warned you may have to unload the truck without much help, because of all those Trippers still on the 100-mile route. Choice B - Leave the Middle School and turn left onto SR-79. Stay on 79 until the left turn onto S2 (San Felipe Rd.), then left turn onto S22 (Montezuma Valley Rd.). Go down Montezuma Grade, stay on S22 into and through Borrego Springs. (If the Trip is staying in Borrego Springs, this is where you start from - lucky you!) Take Palm Canyon Dr., Pegleg Rd. and Borrego Salton Seaway (still S22) to Salton City and SR-86, turn left. Stay on 86 until it turns right and you go straight onto Harrison St, continue through Valerie, staying on Harrison. What follows is roughly the official route through the Coachella Valley, I haven't seen the latest course maps, but this route will get you to Palm Desert. Your job is to go NW and meet SR-111, all the roads are either E-W or N-S. So you can go left on Sandy Korner, becomes Airport, then right on Madison, left on Avenue 54, right on Jefferson to 111, left turn. Stay on 111 until El Paseo, left turn, then another left turn onto Portola and Hope Lutheran will be on your left. Alternatives - Anywhere in the grid from where SR-86 turns right has become much more developed, with golf courses, upscale housing developments, etc. It's easy to take alternate routes or get lost doing so. In the desert, not so much. Day 4 - Palm Desert to Hemet Official route - From Portola, left turn onto El Paseo, right turn onto SR-111, stay on that all the way to I-10, continue along the frontage road, past Cabezon and the dinosaurs. Keep on going past Morongo Casino and the Outlet Malls. Get off Seminole Drive, there is a frontage road on the other side of I-10, it crosses back and becomes E. Ramsey in Banning, which becomes W. Ramsey, which becomes E. 6th St. in Beaumont. Turn left at SR-79 (Beaumont Ave.), cross over I-10 and go a long way downhill. Stay on 79 at the bottom of the hill by turning left, continue until a right turn onto State St. Go one block past Florida St., turning left onto Kimball Ave. The First Presbyterian Family Center is five blocks on your left. Alternates - You can go back up SR-74 over Seven-level hill, keep going past the SR-371 turnoff into Garner Valley and Mountain Center. 74 will take you all the way into Hemet, becoming Florida Ave. Then a left on Franklin one block, right on Kimball and you're there. This alternate has a few sub-alternates, including detouring to Idyllwild for lunch, or going through Anza and descending Bautista Rd. (8 miles of unpaved road) into Hemet. Day 5 - Hemet to Fallbrook Official Route - Every year the previous official route got more traffic and construction, so starting in 2012, Sage Road became the official route. State St. going south becomes Sage Road. This is a scenic and winding road, with the turn-off to remember at E. Benton, where you take a right. Then another careful transition is turning left onto Rancho California Rd. You cross under I-15, turn left and have lunch. Then the fun starts, you get back on Rancho California and it becomes De Luz Road. You do some climbing and downhills, along with a few shallow stream crossings. Eventually you reach the bottom of the canyon at a high rate of speed, cross a rickey bridge and head uphill into Fallbrook. At Mission you turn left one block, then turn right one block, and look for College on your left. Climb the final hill to the Hilltop Center. Alternatives - The official route from Temecula to Fallbrook goes up the hill and through De Luz Canyon. Since this entails climbing, some tricky descents and occasional fording of streams, some Trippers longing for an easier day opt for SR-79 after rolling through Temecula, by staying on the frontage road, left turn onto SR-79 (Temecula Pkwy.), then a quick right turn onto Pechanga Pkwy. and another quick right onto Rainbow Valley Blvd., turning left on Old Hwy. 395 (frontage road for I-15 South) and right onto S13 (East Mission Road), left on North Main (still S13), then left and up the hill to Hilltop Center on the left. Yes, this author knows all the short cuts! Day 6 - Fallbrook to San Diego Official Route - This is usually a group ride where everyone rolls out together and most riders take the official route. The main group breaks up into smaller groups mostly at lights and snack stops after reaching Oceanside and getting onto 101. Because we are usually in a group this author is not sure of the actual course but I know it starts as a left turn at the bottom of the hill, and that becomes S. Mission Rd. I think where S. Mission joins SR-76 in Bonsall we go one block and turn left onto Camino Del Rey, and take the next right onto Old River Road. Where Old River goes under 76 we take Holly Lane and then left onto North River Road. At the intersection with College Blvd. we take a bicycle path along the San Luis Rey River, which takes us to Oceanside. Once there, you make a left and keep the ocean on your right shoulder as you continue south on S21, North Coast Hwy. 101. When you get to UCSD, remember not to take a right turn onto Torrey Pines Road (which goes to La Jolla) but keep going straight on La Jolla Village Drive and then make a right onto Gilman Drive. Go under I-5 and keep going south onto the Rose Canyon Bike Trial, which becomes Morena Blvd. Keep going south and you pass Mission Bay and when you reach Linda Vista Rd. you turn left to get to USD on your left. Alternatives - The main alternate on this day is for an accidental one for riders who miss the turn onto Gilman and the Rose Canyon bike path and ride through La Jolla instead. If this happens to you enjoy the scenery by the ocean, and keep going south to Pacific Beach, left on Grand and you will soon find yourself going south on the west frontage road of I-5. Morena Blvd. is on the east side of I-5, so you should be able to get across to Morena at the Claremont Drive underpass. Easy Peasy! If you get the idea that we're playing footsie with SR-74, SR-78 and SR-79 most of the way, you're correct! Typical menu on the Christmas Trip 'Day 1 (Pine Valley) -' Dinner: Spaghetti (meat and vegetarian sauces), (sometimes polenta, too), Garlic Bread, Salad Dessert: Cookies, Yogurt 'Day 2 (Pine Valley) -' Breakfast: Pancakes, Oatmeal, Cereal 'Day 2 (Warner Springs) -' Dinner: Chicken and Rice, Baked potatoes with toppings (veggies, cheese), Salad Dessert: Apple Pie (from Julian) 'Day 3 (Warner Springs) -' Breakfast: Cereal, Toast, Bagels, Fruit 'Day 3 (Palm Desert) -' Dinner: Make your own Burrito Dessert: Ice Cream 'Day 4 (Palm Desert) -' Breakfast: Pancakes, Oatmeal 'Day 4 (Hemet) -' Dinner: Lasagna (veggie and meat), Garlic Bread, Salad. (the lasagna is almost always served late...) Dessert: Brownies (Hemet was Chili and Fallbrook was Lasagna until around 2011. Hemet has the best kitchen on the trip, and Fallbrook the second worst Pine Valley so it made sense to swap the two meals, since lasagna is about the most complicated meal and chili the simplest). 'Day 5 (Hemet) -' Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs, Hash Browns 'Day 5 (Fallbrook) -' Dinner: Chili, Salad, Cornbread, Rice Dessert: Ice Cream 'Day 6 (Fallbrook) -' Breakfast: French Toast Salad is available most nights for dinner Dinners sometimes include leftovers from the previous night, or experimental dishes made from the leftovers. Vegetarian options are always available for dinner, but more specialized options, such as vegan or gluten free, usually are not. Breakfast always has Cereal, Fruit and Oatmeal available Back to Main Page